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Jamaica: visit of the needs assessment team

A team from the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC together with colleagues from WHO's Department for Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases, the WHO Regional Office for the Americas and the United Nations Development Programme visited Jamaica in August 2014 for a joint needs assessment.

A series of meetings were held with more than 100 stakeholders from various Government agencies, civil society, academia, UN and donor organizations, to discuss achievements and challenges and to identify needs and gaps in implementation of the WHO FCTC.

FINLAND - Action plan to make the country smoke-free by 2040

JUNE 2014 - The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has presented its action plan "Roadmap towards a Smoke-Free Finland" to eliminate the use of tobacco products in the country by the end of the year 2040. The plan includes measures both to prevent people from starting to smoke and to help smokers give up the habit.

The plan envisages the introduction of strong tobacco control policies, in line with the requirements of the WHO FCTC and related implementation guidelines, where appropriate, including:

Thailand - Court decision paves the way to the resizing of graphic health warnings

JUNE 2014 - On 8 March 2013, Thailand's Minister of Health, Dr Pradith Sinthawanarong, signed new regulations that require graphic health warnings to cover at least 85% of both sides of cigarette packages, up from 55%. However, implementation of the measures was held up as a result of a legal challenge initiated by three major international tobacco companies, which resulted in an injunction to that effect issued by the Central Administrative Court in August 2013.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – guidance for embassies on interactions with the tobacco industry published

The Government of the United Kingdom has published revised guidance on interactions with the tobacco industry for the United Kingdom’s overseas posts, in line with Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). The document is to provide overseas posts with greater clarity on the type of support that may be provided to the tobacco industry.

European Union - Revised EU Tobacco Products Directive approved by the European Parliament

FEBRUARY 2014 - The revised Directive, approved by the European Parliament on 26 February, strengthens the rules on how tobacco products are manufactured, produced and presented in the European Union (EU), and introduces specific rules for certain tobacco-related products. The new Directive aims to improve the functioning of the EU's internal market for tobacco products, while assuring a high level of public health. It also aims to make tobacco products and tobacco consumption less attractive, in particular among young people.

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